1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic microscope.
2. Related Background Art
There has already been developed and commercialized an automatic microscope in which various operations of the microscope are conducted automatically. However, in the conventional automatic microscope, at least the first operation, such as the switching operation for the main power source, is manually executed by the observer. In recent microscopes the observer effects various operations of the microscope more frequently at the observation of the specimen. For example, for reducing the damage to the specimen by the illuminating light, the observer closes a shutter, for intercepting the light from the light source to the specimen, except during the period of observation. Conventionally, the opening and closing of shutter have been conducted by a manual operation or a switch operation. Such operation is cumbersome, and the specimen may be damaged if the operation is forgotten. Also the power source for the illuminating lamp may be turned off except for the period of observation, and the power source switch for the illuminating lamp has to be operated each time.
Also in case the observer interrupts the observation with the microscope and leaves the area, the power source switch has to be turned off each time, for power saving and for suppressing the damage to the specimen.
Also in case of measuring weak light from the specimen, stray light from the eyepiece lens significantly affects the measured value. For this reason it has conventionally been necessary to cover the eyepiece lens with a cap or to operate a manual or electric shutter.
Also in the microscope equipped with a television camera, a light measuring sensor, a phototaking camera or the like, there are provided an optical path for guiding light from the specimen to such equipment and an optical path for guiding light to an eyepiece lens barrel, and there is required an operation for switching the optical path at each observation through the eyepiece lens barrel.